After more than 30 years of acting as an exotic wildlife advisor to UK police forces and dealing with panthers, pumas, lynx and much more and having my phone ring from 0600-midnight daily, I finally gotr sense and semi-retired in 2010. I still do get consulted unofficially by police forces but I avoid the press.
Popped out to get some cat food this morning and what do I see on the newspapers ? "Lion sighted in Essex" and "Police hunt Essex Lion" -I turned away. I got home and said "guess what?" the response was "A lion in Essex -the newspaper just called."
Now the TV, newspapers and radio all want my time for free. Wonderful. I've not looked this case up but there is a BBC TV item:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-19388301
Not watched this as I'm 'retired' but I'm guessing the witness saw a large cat some distance off and used binoculars but can only describe a "very large" tan or sandy coloured cat with a light underbelly? I'm guessing the photos one reporter mentioned to me will show bugger all. I'll guess the police went to see the couple then went back to base and at some point an official, heavily armed search of the area took place finding...nothing.
'Lion' hunts, especially in Essex are not new. I'll say puma. Why? because that's the cat most people see and think looks like a lioness. I tried to adevise Essex police a few years ago not to bother with a full scale hunt or a 'hunter' as it would be wasting money. The guy in charge later told me: "We should have taken your advice!"
By the time the patrol car got to the witness(es) home the cat was probably miles away. By the time a search took place -in the next county!
These cats are here. Live with it. They've never ever harmed anyone.
Popped out to get some cat food this morning and what do I see on the newspapers ? "Lion sighted in Essex" and "Police hunt Essex Lion" -I turned away. I got home and said "guess what?" the response was "A lion in Essex -the newspaper just called."
Now the TV, newspapers and radio all want my time for free. Wonderful. I've not looked this case up but there is a BBC TV item:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-19388301
Not watched this as I'm 'retired' but I'm guessing the witness saw a large cat some distance off and used binoculars but can only describe a "very large" tan or sandy coloured cat with a light underbelly? I'm guessing the photos one reporter mentioned to me will show bugger all. I'll guess the police went to see the couple then went back to base and at some point an official, heavily armed search of the area took place finding...nothing.
'Lion' hunts, especially in Essex are not new. I'll say puma. Why? because that's the cat most people see and think looks like a lioness. I tried to adevise Essex police a few years ago not to bother with a full scale hunt or a 'hunter' as it would be wasting money. The guy in charge later told me: "We should have taken your advice!"
By the time the patrol car got to the witness(es) home the cat was probably miles away. By the time a search took place -in the next county!
These cats are here. Live with it. They've never ever harmed anyone.
